ThoR’s Thunder

News & Views from Ensystex - Volume 1

V ECTOTHOR Natural UV-A Light Technology™

V ECTOTHOR Heat Seeker Technology™

Temperature optimized glueboards

V ECTOT HOR Natural Contrast Grid™

M ost powerful UV-A light on the market optimized glueboards

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Exclusive to VECTOTHOR Fly Control Light Traps

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ENSYSTEX & PHILIPSEnsystex has an ongoing commitment that our products will be the best in the market.When we decided to enter the UV-A Fly Trap market it was impera-tive that we developed a line of fly traps that offered clear techno-logical improvements.

Our link with Alcochem in Holland provided us with the Europeandesign and build excellence that we sought; and flowing from thisHolland link came the relationship with Philips and their unique Philips Long-life UV-A lamps. The technological leap forward provided by the research team at Philips was vital in providing a fly control system that outperforms the market.

The Philips Long-life lamps have proven to last at least two years (twice as long as other lamps!) while providing up to twice as much UV-A light. This is the heart of our unit, and clearly more UV-A output means better flying insect kill. The lamps also offer energy savings; a 15w Philips Long-life lamp provides more attractant UV-A light than most 36 watt lamps!

Philips’ focus on performance, rather than on cost-cutting, is alsoimportant. This strategic partnership aligns with Ensystex’s focus on being the best in the market. And the best is what we deliver with the VECTOTHOR range, killing more flies – faster!

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A selection of different powders that can be applied to the phosphor coating.

How does a lamp work?You can take things for granted. We quite happily live with fluorescent lights – or ‘strip lights’ as they are frequently called – but have you ever wondered how they are made and how they actually work? Then, bringing the subject back to pest control, is a lamp used in an electronic fly killer similar to the one in your kitchen?

In short, a fluorescent light is a minor miracle – or as one person described it – a mini nuclear explosion! And the answer to the second question is – a tube in an EFK works on exactly the same principle as one in your house – the only difference is the ‘type’ of light it produces.

The nuts and boltsThe largest and most obvious part of a tube light is the actual tube itself. Made of glass, they are manufactured and shaped into a long continuous strand and then cut to size – rather like a butcher making a string of sausages, each then cut into an individual sausage. The thickness and composition of the glass along with the diameter of the tube is a subject to themselves – which we will not, at this stage, go into here.

So, having now got your tube of glass, the first stage is to coat the inside with a layer of fluorescent powder applied as a suspension – and as you might expect with Philips the liquid used is environmentally friendly water, rather than butyl which is the norm for many of the other manufacturers.

Surprisingly, the fluorescent phosphor coating is actually about the most expensive part of the entire lamp.

It contains a selection of rare earth elements and it is these elements that convert the UV light produced into the visible light we can see. Then the coloring mixed with the coating gives the light the desired color.

At each end of the tube a stem is added mounted on which is an electrode. This electrode holds the emitter – which helps liberate the electrons from the filament.

The lamp tube is then filled with inert noble gas (argon and neon) and mercury which at room temperature is a liquid, but once heated evaporates to make a gas. It is this process that causes the start-up delay when you initially switch on a tube.

An electric current (provided by the external starter motor) is passed through the electrodes, these glow and give-off heat. Due to the potential difference between the electrodes, the emitter begins to emit free electrons to the opposite electrode at the other end of the glass tube. The free electrons collide with the mercury electrons which results in invisible ultraviolet radiation – your mini nuclear explosion. The layer of fluorescent powder applied to the inside of the tube converts the invisible ultraviolet radiation into visible light – the color of which is determined by the coating of the tube.

So there you have it. Switching on a fluores-cent tube may never be the same again!

Philips lights the worldPhilips is the largest manufacturer of lighting in the world. When you come to consider the number of applications there are for lightingit is quite staggering – not just the humble domestic light bulb, but lighting for streets, offices, industry, theatres, medical applica-tions such as X-rays. A good example you might not think of is cars, where one out of every three cars globally is fitted with Philips bulbs.

Staggeringly, of all the electricity used world-wide, 19% is in lighting and of this 75% is accounted for by buildings and streets. So it is easy to see why work on energy-efficient lighting features so highly.

The pest control involvement, which readers will particularly be interested in, falls within the Health & Industry sector of Special Lighting. In the fluorescent lamp market, Philips estimates its market share is above 35% in Europe and above 20% worldwide.

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How does a lamp work?

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The right amount of light

VECTOTHOR FLY TRAPS ARE THE BEST ON THE MARKET AND NOW YOU CAN

PROVE IT TO YOUR CLIENTS!

A UV-A Fly Trap needs to attract flying insects efficiently. This means it needs to compete with, and outperform, the UV-A light from other sources e.g. sunlight shining through windows. A typical value for the amount of UV-A light coming in through a window is 3 mW/cm2.

We therefore contend that a UV-A Lamp should, as a minimum, beemitting 5 mW/cm2.

If a lamp is emitting less than this, then it should be replaced. Typically the Philips® Long-life Lamp will emit 10 - 15 mW/cm2, even after two years. Other lamps are likely to fall below this level within 6 – 12 months or less.

Traditional UV-A LampsAs produced by the leading European lamp manufacturers, typicallyhave an UV-A output of about 15% of their total energy output. Theremaining 85% is ‘lost’ to non–UV-A light and heat. Thus a standard18 watt UV-A lamp will provide energy as follows:

UV-A light ..................................................................... 2.7 wattsNon-UV-A light ............................................................. 1.3 wattsHeat ............................................................................... 14 wattsTOTAL ..............................................................18 wattsAs advised by the manufacturers, these lamps usually fall belowthe acceptable threshold of 5 mW/cm2 in 6 – 9 months.

VECTOTHOR Philips Long-life LampsAre more expensive to produce, but have a significantly higher UV-A efficiency, in fact more than 25% of their total energy output is UV-A light! With this higher efficiency, flying insects are drawn faster to the Fly Trap, which reduces possible microbial problems caused by flying insects. These Philips Long-life Lamps also last longer, at least two years, com-pared to the 6 – 12 months life of a traditional lamp. In fact, even after two years continuous use, you will find the VECTOTHOR Philips Long-life Lamp is still providing more than 5 mW/cm2!

Low Costs LampsUsually produced in Asia, are now flooding the market. The design specifi-cations of these lamps are almost exclusively focused on reducing produc-tion costs, which translates into a lower market price (or a higher margin). HOWEVER this is at the expense of quality and performance! These lamps produce much lower levels of UV-A light, and usually fall below the accept-able threshold in 6 – 9 months, or less!

Like all lamps, they continue to emit visible blue light (in the non-UV-A spectrum) for much longer; up to two years or more; thereby fooling people into thinking they are still working.

5mW / cm2

(minimumUV output)

0mW / cm2

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VECTOTHORFly Control Light Traps

A number of considerations guided the choice of blue-colored glueboards. It is desirable, if possi-ble, to pick a color that will be less apparent to people in the vicinity of the glueboard control area. Trapped flies will build up over time, so a background color against which they are less visible is a plus. But this should be done without any sacrifice to performance.

Indeed, multiple instances of peer-reviewed research highlight the importance of color over other factors in attracting flies1. For example, plastic, fabric, the material may change, but the same link between color and fly response remains.

Shades of blue, in particular, have shown consistent success in multiple studies analyzing the per-formance of different attractants across the fly order Diptera. Physiologically speaking, visual pig-ments within the primitive fly eyes, or ocelli, have been shown to maximally absorb light in the blue region of the color spectrum.

Blue also represents a good trade-off color for interaction with the fly counting software – the flies contrast with the blue background only enough for them to be distinctive and countable to the soft-ware. It makes for a more discrete solution than a white or yellow background without any degrada-tion in counting performance.

1. Diclaro, J. W. "Behavioral and Physiological Response of Musca Domestica to Colored Visual Targets." Journal of Medical Entomology 49.1 (2012): 94-100. See p. 99 for other supporting citations.

The role of color in fly attraction

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The VECTOTHOR difference

Shedding light on increased sales and new clients with the VECTOTHOR™ UV-A Light Meter

Shine some light on the matterUV-A lights and UV-A lamps have been on the market for more than 50 years, with most lamp manufacturers and distributors claiming that their UV-A lamp is the best in the market. Up until now it has been difficult and time consuming to prove them wrong; which made it challenging for professional companies to stand out from the rest; or for consumers seeking the best performance to make an informed choice. The VECTOTHOR UV-A Meter from Ensystex has changed all that. Now professional pest managers can offer their clients the best level of service, and can compare all UV-A lamps - distinguishing the good from the bad. So put the competition to the test – we guarantee VECTOTHOR UV-A Fly Traps are the best on the market!

The VECTOTHOR UV-A Meter enables you to offer a greater level of service to your clients and, more importantly, secure new clients to increase your VECTOTHOR UV-A Fly Trap sales. Indeed, use of this preci-sion tool has been proven to secure more customers and generate greater income for your business. When you approach a potential customer who already has a UV-A Fly Trap in place, offer to measure the UV-A Light Inten-sity from their unit.

Most people think that because they can see the blue light, the lamp is working. But flies are only attracted by UV-A light, which is invisible to the human eye! So the only way to know if it is working, is through the use of an UV-A Meter. By taking a precise reading you can you show them wheth-er their Fly Trap is actually working effectively or not. You can also take a reading from a sample VECTOTHOR UV-A Fly Trap and show just how superior it is. Additionally, with existing clients you can use the VECTO-THOR UV-A Meter to build your relationship by offering the light testing as either a value-added service, or on a fee for service basis. This will reas-sure your clients that they are getting optimal performance at all times.

When installing a VECTOTHOR Fly Trap, the VECTOTHOR UV-A Meter can be used to identify an area on the wall which offers the lowest UV-A back-ground, thus optimising the placement of the Fly Trap. The VECTOTHOR UV-A Meter is an absolute UV-A meter, that accurately measures the abso-lute UV-A light intensity from any lamp or other UV-A source. This is why it can be used to show potential clients when their current unit has no real UV-A power; or when a lamp needs to be replaced.

new clients with the VECTOTHOR™

UV-A lights and UV-A lamps have been on the market for more than 50 years, with most lamp manufacturers and distributors claiming that their UV-A lamp is the best in the market. Up until now it has been difficult and time

The VECTOTHOR UV-A Meter is able to measure the level of the UV-A light given off by a UV-A lamp. Flying insects are drawn towards UV-A light with a specifc wavelength peak of 360 nm. The higher the amount of UV-A light generated by a UV-A lamp, the more efficiently it will attract flying insects. The VECTOTHOR UV-A Meter can be used as both a powerful selling tool, and an important quality assurance tool in food safety programs. The VECTOTHOR UV-A Meter is an absolute UV-A meter. This means that it can accurately measure the absolute UV-A light intensity from any lamp, or other UV-A source.

Since UV-A light is invisible to the human eye, this is most important, as it is the only means by which you can determine if a lamp is actually working or not. The use of the VECTOTHOR UV-A Meter allows:

• Confirmation as to whether a lamp is emitting UV-A light and how much.• Determination of whether a lamp needs to be changed.• If readings are taken on every service visit, it ensures a performance record is available.• Comparison of the amount of UV-A light given off by different lamps.

It’s a measure of good service

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Talk to your thor representative today!Connie Arcemont - 972-835-3772

Northern TX-DFW, MO, OK, KS, NB, WY

Mike Borys, Jr - 941-730-5462Western FL

Joe Craft - 843-469-677SC and Eastern GA

Bob Forreider - 480-241-1872Southern CA, UT, AZ

Steve Goscinsky - 203-482-0778ME, VT, NH, MA, RI, CT, NY, Northern NJ,

Western PA, MI, IN, WI, IL, MN, IA, OH and St Louis, MO

Dan Hill - 678-488-2208Central and Western GA, Northern AL,

Southeastern TN, and HI

Mike Kemp - 352-895-0404Northern and Central FL

Dennis Neal - 601-754-4969 MS, AK, MT, ND, SD, Western TN, Northeast

LA, Western AR, Western AL

Jeff Shelton - 772-418-4544 Eastern FL

Mike Shields - 210-872-3030CO, NM, South & West TX

Don Stetler - 281-271-2965LA, Eastern TX

Scott Tolbert - 704-322-6374NC, Central and Western VA, Eastern TN and

KY

Ed Van Istendal - 215-292-5844Eastern PA, Southern NJ, DE, MD, DC and

Northern VA

Ed Wilson - 909-615-5659OR, WA, ID, Northern NV, Northern CA

More than 15 models available!

VECTOTHORFly Control Light Traps

OSPREY - DiscreteThe VECTOTHOR OSPREY is designed for kitchens, hotels, food production areas, offices, cafés, restaurants, shops and more.

FALCON - UplitThe VECTOTHOR FALCON is designed for offices, cafés, restau-rants, shops where your patrons sit and you want to discretely eliminate troublesome flies.

HARRIER - Rugged The VECTOTHOR HARRIER is designed for the toughest industri-al uses, kitchens, food production areas, and more.

KINGFISHER - Water-proof The VECTOTHOR KINGFISHER is designed for shops, restaurants, wet industrial environments and more.

OSPREYThe VECTOTHOR OSPREY is designed for kitchens, hotels, food production areas, offices, cafés, restaurants, shops and more.

KESTREL - Innovative The VECTOTHOR KESTREL allows it to be mounted square on the wall or like a diamond. Easy to service, stylish and effective

MERLIN - VersatileThe VECTOTHOR MERLIN modular design is an ideal fit for kitchens, food production areas, and more.